GUARD TO LIMIT ABRASIONS DURING USE OF GYMNASTICS RINGS AND METHOD OF USING SAME
A ring guard is provided as a sleeve with first and second width edges and a length extending between the width edge. The sleeve first width edge is open into an interior of the sleeve. The sleeve first width edge is configured to receive a strap of a gymnastics ring into an interior of the sleeve. The second width edge has a loop. The loop has a distal end with a releasable connector. The loop distal end releasable connector is releasably connectable with the sleeve at the second width edge in a manner such that when the loop is directed through an inner diameter of a gymnastics ring, the loop holds the sleeve in position relative to the gymnastics ring. The sleeve may have releasable connectors to allow the sleeve to be arranged around the gymnastics ring strap with the loop around the gymnastics ring.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/691,826, filed Jun. 29, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARYThe disclosure is directed to a guard that covers over the straps, buckles, and fasteners associated with gymnastics rings. When installed over the straps, buckles, and fasteners associated with gymnastics rings, the ring guard limits abrasions during the use of gymnastics rings. The disclosure is also directed to a method of using such a ring guard. The ring guard is made from a smooth flexible material such as neoprene or other similar material having a smooth outer surface. The smooth outer surface serves to limit friction and thus abrasions to which a user may be subjected when the user's arms and torso contact the ring guard. Thus, the ring guard tends to reduce the severity of the abrasions that a user may otherwise be subjected to from contact with the straps, buckles, and fasteners associated with gymnastics rings.
In one configuration of the ring guard 10 shown in
The releasable connectors 28,32 on the longitudinal edges 14,16 of the ring guard 10 may include hook and loop material, snap fasteners, buttons and button holes, a zipper, or other releasable mechanical fastening devices that provide a streamline profile for the ring guard when assembled with the gymnastics ring 40 and the strap 50.
The extension portion 22 and the tab 24 may be wrapped around a terminal end of the strap 50 and its connection with the gymnastics ring 40 to provide a more streamlined profile for the ring guard and maintain the position of the ring guard around the gymnastics ring and strap and to prevent the ring guard from freely sliding along the strap. The extension also provides a smooth surface which limits the abrasions that the user may be subjected to from contact with connection of the gymnastics ring 40 and the terminal end of the strap 50. As shown in the drawings, the tab 24 of the extension portion 22 may have releasable connectors 60,62 on the top and bottom sides 26,30 to releasably connect the tab to the exposed releasable connector of first folded portion (e.g., the releasable connector 32 on the second or bottom side 30 of the ring guard and first longitudinal edge 14), and allow the releasable connector of the second folded portion (e.g., the releasable connector 28 on the first or top side 26 of the ring guard and first longitudinal edge 16), to engage the opposite side of the tab and cover around the connection of the gymnastics ring and the strap. By way of example, the first or top side of the tab may be the same type of releasable connector as the first or top side longitudinal edge (e.g., a loop material), and the second or bottom side of the tab may be the same type of releasable connector as the second or bottom side longitudinal edge (e.g., a hook material). As mentioned before, the extension and tab may be a separate member from the pliant member and may be releasably connected around the gymnastics ring to the pliant member to maintain the pliant member in position relative to the gymnastics ring and strap.
Referring to
An alternate folding pattern may be used depending upon the arrangement of the releasable connectors on the pliant member. For instance, as shown by way of example in the
The folding pattern may be arranged in such a way as to provide a streamline profile for the ring guard and to prevent its disassembly with the strap and the gymnastics ring in the event of contact between the user and the ring guard during use. In that respect, the seam formed by folding over the left and right portions edges of the ring guard may be placed on the outside facing direction of the strap and gymnastics ring with the user positioning his/her body on the inside facing direction of the strap and gymnastics ring between side by side spaced apart straps and gymnastics rings.
In the foregoing description, it is to be understood that the terms indicating the orientation or the positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, are merely for the convenience of describing the embodiments and simplifying the description rather than indicating or implying that the structure indicated must have a specific orientation and be constructed in a specific orientation, and thus are not to be construed as limiting.
In the foregoing description, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms “top”, “bottom”, “center”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “inside” and “outside” are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product according to the disclosed embodiments is conventionally placed when in use, are merely for the convenience of describing the embodiments and simplifying the description rather than indicating or implying that the device or element indicated must have a specific orientation and be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus are not to be construed as limiting.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of exemplary embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in certain detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to any of the specific details, representative devices and methods, and/or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
Claims
1. A ring guard comprising:
- a pliant member having a top side and a bottom side, the pliant member having a width and a length, the pliant member having a first longitudinal edge extending along the length and a second longitudinal edge extending along the length across the width, the pliant member having a first releasable connector adjacent the first longitudinal edge on the top side of the pliant member, the pliant member having a second releasable connector adjacent the second longitudinal edge on the bottom side of the pliant member, the second releasable connector being releasably connectable with the first releasable connector; and
- a tab having a top side and a bottom side, the tab having a length with a first portion and an opposite second edge spaced from the tab first portion across the tab length, the tab having a first releasable connector adjacent the tab second edge on the top side of the tab, the tab having a second releasable connector adjacent the tab second edge on the bottom side of the tab, the tab first releasable connector being releasably connectable with the pliant member second releasable connector, the tab second releasable connector being releasably connectable with the pliant member first releasable connector.
2. The ring guard of claim 1 wherein the tab first portion projects from the pliant member width.
3. The ring guard of claim 1 wherein the pliant member is rectangular.
4. The ring guard of claim 1 wherein the pliant member first and second releasable fasteners comprises loop and hook material, respectively.
5. The ring guard of claim 4 wherein the tab first and second releasable fasteners comprise loop and hook material, respectively.
6. A ring guard comprising a sleeve with a first and second width edges and a length extending between the width edges, the sleeve first width edge being open into an interior of the sleeve, the sleeve first width edge being configured to receive a strap of a gymnastics ring into an interior of the sleeve, the second width edge having a loop, the loop having a distal end with a releasable connector, the loop distal end releasable connector being releasably connectable with the sleeve at the second width edge in a manner such that when the loop is directed through an inner diameter of a gymnastics ring, the loop holds the sleeve in position relative to the gymnastics ring.
7. The ring guard of claim 6 wherein the sleeve comprises a pliant member formed into the sleeve by releasably joining longitudinal edges of the pliant member together along the length of the sleeve.
8. The ring guard of claim 7 wherein the sleeve pliant member comprises a first releasable connector adjacent the first longitudinal edge on the top side of the pliant member and a second releasable connector adjacent the second longitudinal edge on the bottom side of the pliant member, the second releasable connector is releasably connectable with the first releasable connector to form the sleeve.
9. The ring guard of claim 8 wherein the pliant member first and second releasable fasteners comprises hook and loop material, respectively.
10. The ring guard of claim 8 wherein the loop distal end has a top side and a bottom side, the loop distal end top side has a first releasable connector, the loop distal end bottom side has a second releasable connector, the loop distal end first releasable connector is releasably connectable with the pliant member second releasable connector, the loop distal end second releasable connector is releasably connectable with the pliant member first releasable connector.
11. The ring guard of claim 10 wherein the tab first and second releasable fasteners comprise hook and loop material, respectively.
12. The ring guard of claim 7 wherein the loop first portion projects from the pliant member width.
13. The ring guard of claim 7 wherein the pliant member is rectangular.
14. A method comprising:
- providing a gymnastics ring, the gymnastics ring being coupled to a strap;
- accessing a pliant member, the pliant member having a top side and a bottom side, the pliant member having a width and a length, the pliant member having a first longitudinal edge extending along the length and a second longitudinal edge extending along the length across the width;
- arranging the strap over the pliant member top side with the strap extending in a direction corresponding to the length of the pliant member;
- with the first longitudinal edge, folding the pliant member over the strap to form a first folded over region of the pliant member;
- accessing a tab, the tab having a top side and a bottom side, the tab having a length with a first portion and an opposite second edge spaced from the tab first portion across the tab length;
- directing the tab through an inner diameter of the gymnastics ring;
- releasably connecting the tab top side at the tab second edge to the first folded over region of the pliant member such that the tab top side abuts the gymnastics ring;
- with the second longitudinal edge, folding the pliant member over the strap to form a second folded over region;
- releasably connecting at least a portion of the second folded over region to at least a portion of the first folded over region and to the bottom side of the tab at the tab second edge.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of releasably connecting the portion of the second folded over region to the portion of the first folded over region and to the bottom side of the tab at the tab second edge comprises releasably connecting a releasable connector adjacent the second longitudinal edge on the second folded over region of the pliant member to the portion of the first folded over region of the pliant member.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of releasably connecting the releasable connector adjacent the second longitudinal edge on the second folded over region of the pliant member to the portion of the first folded over region of the pliant member comprises releasably connecting the releasable connector to a further releasable connector on the first folded over region of the pliant member.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of releasably connecting the tab top side at the tab second edge to the first folded over region of the pliant member comprises releasably connecting a releasable connector on the top side of the tab to the further releasable connector on the first folded over region of the pliant member.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of releasably connecting the portion of the second folded over region to the portion of the first folded over region and to the bottom side of the tab at the tab second edge includes releasably connecting the releasable connector adjacent the second longitudinal edge on the second folded over region of the pliant member to a further releasable connector on the bottom side of the tab.
19. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of directing the tab through the inner diameter of the gymnastics ring comprises directing the tab second edge through the inner diameter of the gymnastics ring with the tab first portion extending from the pliant member width.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 25, 2019
Publication Date: Jan 2, 2020
Patent Grant number: 10953302
Inventors: Mark Harris (Saint Jacob, IL), Dana Askew-Harris (Saint Jacob, IL)
Application Number: 16/451,694